I came across some scripture that, at first, seemed kind of confusing. There are a couple of places that mention this:

Proverbs 25:22

“For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward you.”

Romans 12:20

“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirst, give him drink, for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.”

Does this mean that they will be punished somehow? When you look at this, without really thinking, it appears that by doing this, it will punish your enemy somehow. I don’t think this is what is really meant here. Back in these times, there were things called braziers, which were metal pans used to hold lit coals. These were used to heat the home, for light, and to cook small meals with. If someone came to you and asked you for food, that was one thing. There might or might not be food shortages. Coals, on the other hand, were more scarce than food. By giving someone some of your coals, you might starve to death or even freeze in the winters. I believe that God wants us to give even of our coals. By giving even our enemies basic living requirements, it might change their view on life. Even if it didn’t change them, it might show others the way in which Christians are supposed to live.

There are some other verses around these that support this theory:

Matthew 5:43-46

43“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans do the same?”

What do you think this means?

It means that it’s easy to love those that love us and to do good things to those that do the same to us. It is really hard to do something nice for someone who hates us, uses us, and does nothing good in return. He asks us to do so anyway. By doing so, we prove our love for everyone around us, and prove that God loves everyone even more than we ever could.

Something else to think about here:

In the days and times of the first Christians, you have to realize that people were making a HUGE change by becoming Christians. They didn’t just get up in church and have a bunch of people pray for them, as is the way things happen in the United States in most places. These people would lose their jobs, their homes, and sometimes their very lives by professing to live in the name of Jesus! They were openly persecuted by both Jews and Romans. The Jews would disown anyone who followed Jesus. Any land, property, or money they would be entitled to was instantly gone. They were ostracized by everyone who wasn’t Christian.

I wonder how many of us Christians would still profess to be Christians if their very lives depended on the answer. Would you still claim to be Christian if it meant losing your job, your house, being imprisoned, or even being killed for your faith?

Ending Prayer

Heavenly Father:

Guide us, your children, to be an example to others in how to be Christians. Let us show the world how to truly love one another, and not just those that love us. Humble our hearts so that we may love our neighbors: friend and foe alike. I ask that you give strength to our brothers and sisters being persecuted all over the world for their faith in your son. If we are able to help anyone in some way Father, give us the opportunity to do so. Let us be the light upon the darkness, and never be afraid to declare you our God. In Jesus name… Amen

Okay, so I know there is a lot of talk about him already. He’s been in office less than a week, and people are protesting and rioting already. He hasn’t even had time to make any real mistakes, and he’s being judged for what might happen.

I understand that many people think he’s a jackass, a womanizer, and many more things. He might be those things, not many of us know for sure what he’s done; let alone what he’s gonna do.

Yet everyone seems to have an opinion about him one way or the other already. Look… he hasn’t really done anything worth judging yet. At least give the guy a chance to screw up before you hang him out to dry. He’ll probably be the most scrutinized President ever to hold the office.

People are making plans to leave the country over this. If you’re willing to give up that easy, then your heart wasn’t really in it to begin with. Stay and fight! Stand up for what you believe. You never know, he might turn out to be a great President. (If you decided to give him the same chance that all other Presidents have had.)

I’m not saying agree with everything he says or does. I’m not saying we shouldn’t watch him. I’m just saying maybe we should wait until he’s actually done something wrong before we lynch mob him. You know? How would you feel if people who don’t even know you did that to you?

Have you ever heard people at work say something like, “I don’t care, it’s not like I pay for it…”? I’m sure most of us have. Here’s the thing, if you work at a large company with maybe a hundred or more people in it, and they all have that same attitude…

You are looking at a lot of people wasting things just because they don’t pay for it. A few dollars a day times several hundred employees equals a lot of lost money. That’s a few hundred a day. That’s just about the salary of someone working there for a year.

I bet most of the people who feel this way also are the first to complain when they don’t get a raise or get a small one. So, maybe they are paying for it, even if they don’t recognize it. I try to look at it like saving the company money gives them more money they can spend on raises. Whether they do or not is another matter. At least I know I did my part.

“Tis the Season” as they say… and how many people these days really remember what this season is about besides presents and going into more debt? This is a time to reflect on the greatest gift the world and everyone in it has ever gotten. It is time to reflect on the birth of the man we know as Jesus. Names back then meant much more than most do today. They reflect the character of the person or family they belong to.

Just remember that Jesus was born with the purpose of giving His life for our sins so that there would be no more sacrifices. We are washed clean from the blood that was spilled in all our names. Thank God for that!!

One day I was on the internet and saw a website where I could enter a poetry contest. I figured what the heck, why not? On the spot, I created this poem. I got stuff in the mail saying I was nominated for the 2005 Poet of the Year Award. I didn’t win, But I thought this would be a great poem for my future wife. Once I finally found her, I dedicated this poem to her. I love you Jen!!

Abortion is one of the most fought over topics these days. Some people are pro-choice, while others are pro-life. Either way you stack it, it’s a hot topic.

In my mind, there is only one reason why a child should ever be aborted… if having the child endangers the life of the mother.

I’m a guy, so I cannot pretend to understand the complexities of carrying another human being inside my body. I can’t begin to fathom the type of bond this creates between a mother and child.

I do, however, know that it is wrong to take a life without just cause. It’s my opinion that once a child is conceived, it is a human being in the making. To stop that process prematurely is tantamount to murder. You’re taking a life or, at the very least, taking away the possibility of life.

Some believe that if a woman is raped, the baby was forced on them and therefore has no rights. The part about the baby being forced upon them is true enough. As for the rest, however, I must disagree. We can debate when a child is considered a child all day long. I must ask, however, what fault the child has in any part of this? The child did not ask to be born, and should not have to pay the ultimate price for what someone else gets to decide.

Adoption seems a much better choice to me. I get it. Not everyone is cut out to be a parent. Why must the child pay for this fact though? There are so many people out there who cannot have children. Why not alleviate your problem while also helping someone else get through theirs? It just seems like the logical choice to me.

Feel free to agree or disagree. This is how I feel. If you can give me a good enough reason for why an unborn child should not get the same chance at life as any other… then maybe I’ll change my stance. I doubt anyone can get me to see the other side of this one, but you never know.